Pride and Prejudice - Chapter 12
Orgullo y Prejuicio - Capítulo 12
Winter passed quietly at Longbourn. The Bennet sisters saw little of the Bingleys, as they had returned to London for the season. Jane was disappointed but tried to be hopeful.
El invierno pasó y llegó la primavera. Jane seguía triste por la partida de Bingley, pero trataba de ser valiente.
In January, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, Mrs. Bennet's brother and his wife, came to visit. They were sensible, kind people, and they were fond of their nieces.
En marzo, Elizabeth viajó a Hunsford para visitar a Charlotte. Tenía curiosidad por ver cómo le iba a su amiga con el señor Collins, y también quería ver a Lady Catherine de Bourgh, de quien tanto había oído hablar.
Mrs. Gardiner noticed that Jane was unhappy and invited her to come to London for a stay. Jane accepted eagerly, hoping that she might see Bingley there.
Cuando llegó a la casa parroquial, fue recibida calurosamente por Charlotte y el señor Collins. Charlotte parecía contenta con su vida, y había amueblado la casa cómodamente.
Elizabeth was invited as well, but she declined. She wanted to stay with her family, and she was not interested in pursuing a relationship with any man in London.
El señor Collins era tan formal y tonto como siempre, pero Charlotte parecía haber aprendido a ignorarlo.
"I am happy here," she told her aunt. "And I do not think London would agree with me."
Unos días después de su llegada, fueron invitados a cenar a Rosings Park. Lady Catherine era una mujer grande e imponente, con una voz fuerte y modales imperiosos.
After Jane left for London, Elizabeth and her younger sisters continued their quiet life. They read books, visited neighbours, and waited for news from Jane.
Le hizo a Elizabeth muchas preguntas sobre su familia, su educación y sus hermanas.
But the news from London was disappointing. Jane wrote that she had seen the Bingley sisters but not Bingley himself. She had called on Caroline Bingley, who had received her politely but had not invited her to return.
—¿Toca el piano? —preguntó—. ¿Dibuja? ¿Habla francés?
"She is being deliberately cruel," Elizabeth said when she read the letter. "She wants to separate you from Bingley."
Elizabeth respondió a sus preguntas cortésmente, pero no se dejó intimidar por la riqueza o el rango de Lady Catherine.
But Jane refused to believe ill of Caroline. "She was just busy," she insisted. "I am sure she did not mean to be unkind."
—Da su opinión muy abiertamente —observó Lady Catherine—. Para ser una persona tan joven.
Elizabeth disagreed. She was certain that the Bingley sisters were trying to prevent any relationship between Jane and Bingley. But she could do nothing about it from Longbourn.
Elizabeth sonrió. —No creo que la edad tenga nada que ver con la capacidad de tener una opinión.
Meanwhile, Mr. Wickham continued to be a frequent visitor at Longbourn. He was charming and friendly, and he seemed genuinely fond of Elizabeth.
Lady Catherine pareció sorprendida por la respuesta de Elizabeth, pero no dijo nada más.
"I wish I had more time to spend with you," he told her. "But my duties keep me busy."
Durante su estancia en Hunsford, Elizabeth se enteró de que el señor Darcy visitaría Rosings Park. Era sobrino de Lady Catherine, y se esperaba que se casara con su hija, la señorita de Bourgh.
Elizabeth enjoyed his company and found herself growing more attracted to him. He was everything Darcy was not—friendly, open, without pride or pretension.
Elizabeth no estaba contenta con la perspectiva de volver a ver a Darcy, pero tenía curiosidad por observar cómo interactuaba con su tía y su prima.
But Elizabeth did not know that Wickham was not all he seemed. He had a past that would eventually come to light, and it would change everything.